Contractor fired after dumping dead dog in dumpster

A contracted ordinance officer won't be working for Westland any longer and his supervisor has been suspended without pay for five days after the body of a resident's dog was placed into a Dumpster.

"Like you, I was shocked and appalled to see the photographs of a Westland employee throwing the body of a deceased dog into a Dumpster," Westland Mayor William Wild said. "I want to apologize. This should not have happened. This animal was someone’s pet and deserves respect and compassion just like you and I would want and expect for our pets."

The incident happened Oct. 6, when the ordinance officer, who was handling animal control calls, was sent to collect the dog, which was laying along a street in Norwayne, apparently having been hit by a vehicle.

A witness, who recognized the dog and knew its owner, followed the ordinance officer to find out where the dog was being taken. The ordinance officer put the dead dog into a trash container — something filmed by the witness, who also took photos of the dog's body inside the Dumpster instead turning it over to the Michigan Humane Society. City procedure is to take animals with tags, tattoos or others identifiable as pets to the humane society, located on Marquette in Westland.

The witness then went to city hall to make a complaint.

"As a Compassionate City, our city values all lives, both human and animal. As animal lovers and dog owners ourselves, my wife Sherri and I wish to donate a proper burial of this beloved pet to his human family to help them say goodbye," Wild said.

The city's ordinance enforcement came under fire earlier this year, when the officers removed American flags celebrating Memorial Day placed in the road right-of-way by a local business. The city later apologized and allowed the flags to be displayed.

This incident confirms the need for reviewing policies and procedures for ordinance enforcement and animal control, which were recently announced as part of a recent organization, Wild said. Part of that reorganization will move ordinance enforcement and animal control from the fire department.

Westland Department of Public Services Deputy Director Hassan Saab will oversee moving ordinance services from the fire department. The change will be completed with formation of a new department in the 2017-18 fiscal year.